WHO:
— Joe Saunders, Central Florida field organizer, Equality Florida
— Wayne Besen, executive director, Truth WinsOut
— Jim Merritt, ex-gay survivor
— Pat Padilla, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
WHAT: A coalition will hold a press conference to challenge so-called “ex-gay” efforts to enter public schools with harmful and scientifically bankrupt programs.
WHEN: Friday, June 30 at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Orange County Convention Center (West Concourse), Orlando, Fla. (In Front of Sign at intersection of International Drive and Exhibit Drive)
Update: Here’s a follow up article in the Orlando Sentinel.
There are only “thirty” ex-gays who are teachers in the entire NEA? And their spokesmodel is Boynes, whose idea of “ex-gay” means “celibate?” Is that the kind of “choice” they intend to talk about with students. . .that they have a choice to be gay, and the alternative is to be. . .nothing?
“Smith says the caucus wants to combat the idea that a person is genetically predisposed toward homosexuality. When the issue comes up in the classroom, she said, children should be exposed to the view that being gay is a choice.”
Thats a pretty big claim (being gay is a choice) that ex-gays rarely even make. It’s patently false. Aside from that, though, why should kids be told that being gay is a choice? What is that possibly going to help? To me it seems it would invite more problems for the gay students. Is that what they want?
Brady, they don’t care what happens to gay kids, they’re simply trying to create the next generation of gay haters by making kids believe everyone can and should be straight.